2024 has been the year of Santa Muerte, aka Our Lady of the Holy Death, for me. That is why I was delighted to receive the Santa Muerte Lenormand* by Dan M. Pelletier with art by Callie L. French, published by REDFeather, on All Hallow’s Eve of all days. The synchronicity is almost unparalleled since the Skeleton Saint appeared to me that day, asking me to devote a Year and a Day to Her. So I knew this would be a special deck. But let’s begin with the more mundane side of this deck review.
La Santa Muerte Lenormand Box, Guidebook and Cardstock
The box is sturdy and visually appealing with the two eye sockets providing a preview of the two extras in this Lenormand deck that has 38 cards. The box lid is magnetic (a personal favourite) and closes with a satisfying clunk noise.
The companion booklet contains basic information about both La Santa Muerte and the 36 cards. I say 36 cards because, for the two extra cards, the skeleton man and woman, the information from the man and woman cards repeats.
Hence, this deck requires that you do your own research and Lenormand studies if you wish to use the cards more traditionally for Lenormand readings. However, the guidebook does teach you how to get started with two-card readings and also provides two smaller spreads, the 3×3 and the Little Cross. Additionally, you can of course also use this deck as an oracle deck and read it intuitively. There is, to my knowledge, no Lenormand Police.
The card stock is matte and quite sturdy. The card backs are black with a white crayon Santa Muerte sigil that looks like a Voodoo veve. The sigil piqued my curiosity so I decided to do some research since there was no information about it in the guidebook.
The Santa Muerte Sigil
The veve-like sigil associated with La Santa Muerte is a relatively recent development in the context of her worship. It was created by author Carlos Montenegro in 1997 and is inspired by traditional firmas or sigils used in Cuban Palo, a form of Afro-Cuban religion. This sigil serves as a symbolic representation of La Santa Muerte, who is a folk saint in Mexican culture, often depicted as a skeletal figure holding a scythe.
Controversy Surrounding the Sigil
The sigil has sparked considerable controversy among devotees and scholars alike. Many practitioners express strong opinions regarding its legitimacy, with some arguing that it was “invented out of thin air” and lacks historical roots in traditional practices.
How to Use the Sigil
For those interested in incorporating the sigil into their practice, you can use it various ways:
- Altar Decoration: Display on altars dedicated to La Santa Muerte.
- Rituals and Offerings: Practitioners may incorporate the sigil into rituals, using it as a representation of La Santa Muerte during ceremonies or when making offerings. This can come in handy when the devotee is travelling and cannot access their altar space where a visual representation of La Santa Muerte is present.
- Meditation and Visualisation: Some may use the sigil as a tool for meditation, focusing on its design to connect with the energies associated with La Santa Muerte.
Overall, the sigil serves as a modern symbol of devotion to La Santa Muerte, despite the debates surrounding its origins and authenticity.
An Invitation to Get to Know La Santa Muerte
While I believe that most people who buy this deck may already be devotees of Santa Muerte, it will probably also appeal to many others because of the artwork. In this case, it could be a sign that Santa Muerte is calling you. The three books referenced at the end of the guidebook are excellent recommendations for getting to know Her. I have all three and learned so much from them–highly recommend!
Video Flip-through of the Santa Muerte Lenormand
As you can see in the flip-through, the cards are colourful with titles in Spanish. Thankfully, since I don’t speak Spanish, the guidebook is in English. It is easy to locate the cards in the guidebook thanks to the numbers and in the book, you also get the traditional English title of the card.
The Two Extra Cards in the Santa Muerte Lenormand
The inclusion of the two extra cards makes it easy to do readings for same-sex couples but there are other ways to use them too. Personally, I keep all four of them in the deck at all times because I feel that the skeletal man and woman have a different feel to them than the two humans.
To me, the skeleton woman represents the wild, fierce and passionate divine feminine and the skeleton man is the trickster archetype. One way I use this for readings is when doing a row of five for the day ahead. I shuffle the normal way and then turn the cards face up. Then I locate the first of the four persons and look to the two cards on either side to divine the day ahead.
In this instance, the human male person is a sign that a more proactive and logical/rational approach is useful concerning what’s on either side of him. The human female person brings nurturing and receptive qualities to the fore. When one of the two skeleton persons shows up, I know that I have more ‘supernatural’ stuff on my plate that day. With the skeleton lady, I know that I can let my wild and creative side shine and with the skeleton, my trickster side will serve me better.
I would rate this deck 5/5. It’s a new favourite for all types of readings, both spiritual and mundane.
Check out my other Tarot and Oracle Deck Reviews!
* A review copy was sent to me by REDFeather MBS.
